Venetian blind



Aug. 5,'1941;

` l YENBT'IANBLIND Filed seph,

' INVENTOR.

I I ATTORNEY atented Aug. 5, 1941 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' VENETIAN BLIND Maud McG-ew, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application September 25, 1940, Serial No. 358,200

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible blinds or shutters for windowsl known as Venetian blinds.

One of the objects of the present invention is to construct a Venetian blind in such manner that its durability shall be considerably increased and the cleaning of the slats and bands of the same greatly facilitated.

Another object of the invention is to provide Venetian blinds in which the so-called laddertape is eliminated.

Still another object of the invention is to provide simple means whereby the bands may be removed from the blind and cleaned without taking the blind apart.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a blind which may be readily removed intact from the frame by disengaging the tilting board from its holders, in a manner as now commonly used for ordinary' window shades, and byl detaching the pull cord from the pull cord mechanism, thereby making it possible to remove the blind to a more convenient place for cleaning etc. and also to clean the windows while the blind is detached from the window frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple means whereby the complete blind may be quickly taken apart and re-assembled by anyone without the use of tools.-

Another object of the invention is to provide Venetian blind in accordance with this invention, showing the blind in full open position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, isometric view illustrating on an enlarged scale a slat as used with outside bands and provided with punchouts adjacent the longitudinal edges to which the holders of the outside bands may be attached.

Figure 3 is a transverse section through a slat taken on line 3-3 in Figure 13.

Figure 4 shows, on an enlarged scale, a side view of a complete outside band consisting of a wide outside band to whichv a narrow tape, provided with a plurality of holders, is secured oy means of snap fasteners.

Figure 5 is a view in direction of arrow A in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary isometric view of a modined slat for a blind with no outside bands in wnicn the sat is provided with two or more (depending on the number of pull ropes) transverse rectangular openings, each of which provided with apair oi' parallelly disposed horizlontal cross-bars to which one of the holders of a holder chain may be attached.

Figure 7 is another modification of a slat used for blinds with outside bands. in this case front a Venetian blind which may be raised or lowered with the slats in tilted position;

Still another object of the invention is to provide a Venetian blind with double edgewise inserted bands in which case all surfaces of the slats may be cleaned, if desired, without removing the blind from the window frame.

A further object of the invention is to insure a uniform spacing of the slats while in open,

and rear recesses are provided along the edge of the sat and cross-bars inserted, as shown, for the reception of one of the holders of a holder chain.

Figure 8 shows a pull-cord connector assemby as used in this invention.

partly open horizontal or tilted position and to 4 lie even with respect to each other when ln closed hormontal or tilted position.

Further objects of the present invention are to provide-a Venetian blind of the class set forth which is simple in its construction and arrangements, strong durable and eificient in its use. readily installed and inexpensive tomanufacture.

Additional features and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description lustrating a slat assembly of another modifica--v tion in which no bands are visible at the outside of the slat. i

Figure 14 is a detail sectional view illustratlng the construction of the bottom bar or a blind and certain associated parts.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary, sectional trans- .m verse view of'another modification of a blind having no outside bands, in which a pair of fabric considered in connection with the accompanylng band-jackets, each of which covering a pull cord drawings forming part of this application.

In the drawings:

and a holder chain, serve as inner bands.

Figure 16 is a fragmentary front view of Fig- Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a ure 15.

Figure 17 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fabric band-jacket.

Figure 18 ls a fragmentary, perspective assembly view of one of the fabric band-jackets.

Reference being had to the drawings in which similar reference numbers denote like parts in the several views.

In general, the Venetian blind constructed in accordance with this invention comprises a head piece 20, a tilting bar 21, a plurality of slats 22 and a bottom bar 23.

yIt is thought that there is no novelty in the tilting mechanism as well as the arrangement of the cords and pulleys for operating to elevate, lower or adjust the blind slats per se, a detailed construction thereof is therefore not shown.

Referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings, there isvshown a fragmentary view of a blind which is provided with outside bands. In this construction the blind comprises a series of thin slats 24, connected together in parallel relation and arranged to be suspended from a head piece 20, secured at the top portion of a window frame 25 to puli ropes 26'guided over pulleys 21. The aforesaid pull ropes 26 are preferably detachably attached to the pull rope mechanism 28 by means of a separable pull rope connector 29, one of which is shown detailed in Figure 9 and assembled in Figure 8 of the drawings. Since the said connectors 29 are available on the open market a description of the same will therefore be eliminated to avoid elaboration.

The said slats 24 may be madeof wood, plastic, metal or any other suitable material and are preferably made of thin gauge material so as to reduce to a minimum the space occupied by the bundle of slats when the blind is in a raised position and also to reduce the weight of the blind.

There are shown in this invention three distinctive Venetian blind constructions, #1 in which bands are used at the outside of the slat,

#2 in which the bands are shown' at the inside of the slats and #3 in which jacket-bands are used, also at the inside of the slats.

Figures 2, 4 and 5 show details of a blind corresponding with construction #1 in which each slat 24 is provided with a group of three transverse apertures or punch-outs consisting of a central aperture 3l and two oppositely spaced apertures 32. These apertures 32 are in close proximity to the longitudinal edges 33 of slats 24 as shown in Figure 2, so as to provide a sufficiently strong edge without breaking when one of the holders 34 engages one of said apertures 32.

The aforesald holders 34 may be of a type as used for jewelry, etc., such as shown in Figures 4 and 5 or they may be of a special widened design such as shown in Figure 12 and indicated by the numeral 35. Both of said holders 34 and 35 are operable in a like manner, that is, by pushing knob 36 of locking segment bar 31, a spring 39 within the tubular circular body 39 is compressed allowing said bar 31 to more penetrate said tubular body 39, thereby opening the otherwise closed ring which automatically closes again as soon as the knob 36 is released.

Said holders 34 or 35 have a pair of oppositely secured buckles 40 adapted to receive an end of a narrow flexible tape 4I and secured thereon by sewing, riveting or otherwise.

Said tape is provided, at intervals, with snapfasteners 42 so as to be detachably attached to the wide band 43 also provided with corresponding snap-fasteners 42.

Obviously. the distance between slats is determined by the distance between holders of the holder-chains 44 (see Figure 13 for reference only).

In the herewith described construction of a blind having outside bands it will be noted that the outside bands may be quickly detached from the snap-fasteners for cleaning or any other purpose without disengaging the holder-chain 44 from the slats, but should it be desired to disengage the holder-chain 44 from the slats this also may be accomplished quickly without the use of tools.

Figure 7 illustrates another method of attaching the holder-chain to the edges of the slats. In this case, instead of providing an aperture in close proximity to the longitudinal slat edges, recesses 45 are provided at the edges and inwardly curved bars 46 are inserted in midway of said recess in parallel alignment with the longitudinal edges of said slats. The holder-chain 44 including the wide band 43 is attached to said .bars 46 in the same manner as described in the construction previously described.

In the modification shown in Figures 1, 13 and 14, illustrating a blind having no outside bands, the connecting chain for the slats 41 are very similar to the holder chain construction heretofore described. In this case, the slats 41 are provided with a single elongated transverse aperture 48 for each pull rope (the number of pull ropes depends on the width of the blind) having a pair of 'longitudinally inserted parallel pins 49, spaced apart as shown. In this construction, the holder-chain 44 consists of holders 5I which are tied together, equally spaced apart, by means of rope or cord 52. This cord 52 is permanently attached to a narrow tape 53 by sewing, stapling, or otherwise.

The lowermost ends of said tape 53 are connected together by a snap-fastener 54, as shown in Figure 14 of the drawings, and the pull-cord 26 is attached to a third pin or bar 55, in the center of the bottom bar 23 by means of a harness-snap 56 as shown or otherwise.

In the above described construction, the blind, when in bundled or closed position does not expose the holder-chain 44 or pull-rope 26, only the eges of the slats are visible.

Figure 6 shows a modified design of the bars 51 in slats 58, the former being inwardly curved bars instead of round bars as described and shown in Figures 13 and 14.

Figure 3 shows a false Sectional view along line 3-3 in Figure 13 and differs from Figure 13 by having two narrow tape bands 59 and 60 of the same width detachably secured together by snap-fasteners 6l. In other words, instead of having a cord-holder-chain as in Figure 13 'it has a tape holder-chain. Otherwise Figure 3 corresponds to the construction shown in Figure 13 In the modification as illustrated in Figures 15, 16, 17 and 18, the slats 62 and bars or pins 63 are same as slats 41 and bars or pins 49 shown in Figure 13. In this construction two identical units 64 are used, each unit comprising a cord holder-chain 65 and a pull-cord66 covered by a fabric jacket 61. The latter has suitable spaced cut-outs 68, as shown, one for each holder 34, so that its knob 36 is sufilciently exposed when it is desired to engage or disengage the holder from the bars 63.

The said units 64 are assembled in the slats 62 in a manner as shown in Figure 15 and it will be noted that in this construction two pull cords are used but united to one a short distance above the tilting board 2! while the lowermost ends of the two pull cords are also united intoa single` cord end and attached to a harness snap 56 such as shown in Figures and llwhich is then snapped over a third bar 55 inserted-in the bottom board 23.

The raising or loweringof the .blind is affected in a usual manner by means of a pull ccrd terminal 'IU which is arrangedat the right 'sideof the blind and extends downwardly a distance within easy reach of the user, while the tilting` of the several members of the blind is eifected through tilting cord 'H also extending downwardly, as shown and usually on the left side of the blind. I I

By the foregoing constructions I have provided by a simple and therefore inexpensive process of manufacture an extremely'durable and efiicient Venetian blind meeting all requirements and certain desirable characteristics. The outside bands for example may be quickly removed without removing the blind from the frame, or without taking the blind apart, or in case no outside bands are used the holder-chains are completely invisible when the blind is raised and the slats are in compact relation. In this construction the slats are at all times securely held'in equally spaced relation and in parallel planes, and any vertical or` angular movement imparted to a slat will be transmitted to all slats. The blind is a 3 to sup-portl saidslats in, spa'ced. parallel relation and ren'lovably'` engaging the edges of said slats,

,. means toraise, lower or .tilt said slats and bands scribed comprising a head piece, a tilting bar, a-

removably attached to said slat-supporting chains. v i

3. In a Venetianblind of the character deslat-supporting chains.

4. In a Venetian blind of the class described c'omprising a head piece, a tilting bar, a plurality I of slats and a bottom bar, a pull-rope mechanism `for raising and lowering said slats and a tilting alignment with said pull-rope openings adapted to -receive the holders of the .slat-supporting chains and bands removably attached to said i slat-supporting chains.

5. rn a venetian blind lof the character de- .scribed the combination with the slats thereof readily installedv and operated and is not liable to get out of order and may be taken apart or slats replaced by anyone without the use of tools.

As will be understood, as suggested herein, there may be changes made in the construction and arrangement of the details of this invention without departing from the field and scope of the same, and it is Vintended to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the' appended claims, in this application in which the preferred forms only of this invention have been illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In a Venetian blind of the character described including a plurality of slats adapted to be raised and lowered by a pull-rope, each of s aid slats provided with a central vtransverse opening adjacent their opposite ends adapted' to receive position and means for raising, lowering and tiltlng said slats.

6. In a Venetian blind of the kind described i the combination with the slat-s thereof. each provided with central transverse, narrow openings adjacent their opposite ends, adapted to receive a pair of slat-supporting chains and a' pair of pull-ropes; pins inserted between the narrow walls in close proximity of the wide walls of said opening in alignment with the longitudinal edges a pair of slat-supporting chains and a pull-rope and means to attach said chains within the openings of said slats. i

2. In a Venetian blind yof the character de-' of said slatsfor attaching 'said chains and a pair or flexible jackets,l each extending the full height "MAUD MCGREW. 

